Pokemon: Spectre

CHAPTER V: GOODBYE, KAKUNA VILLAGE!

(-o-)

Today was the day. I had woken up four times throughout the night due to a bubbling anxiety and it was a wonder that I had gotten any sleep at all. A complete contrast from the previous night's sublime and slumbering sleep.

Isabel, Charli, and Rubert had visited me at home the previous evening and I'd told them all about my bout with Lenn in the woods. They were super curious, so I spared no details. Despite Drowzee's loss to the nasty Sinnoh-bug, I felt like something in me had changed for the better. Hardened almost. I knew I could give orders to a pokémon and have it do as I say; something I had no experience with apart from Glee when I was younger and fooling around and when she was still an Oddish. I knew that if it came to it, I would even come to blows with a pokémon if it threatened my life; something that Lenn's pokémon had taught me by putting me on the spot. I also knew that I would aim to get tougher, so that Drowzee wouldn't have to pay the price for my weaknesses.

The digital clock on my nightstand read '06:11' and I decided to get up. I'd gotten a heads up from my friends and fellow hunters that we would be called as early as quarter-to-seven in the morning. That left me with little over half-an-hour to doublecheck everything before I left.

I had a quick shower and got dressed. There was a warm, beige, hooded fleece that looked like it was made from Mareep wool, and I usually put on in late Fall and Winter, and even though we were mid-way through Spring, I figured that it would be my best choice if I was to be on the road. The wooly fabric was virtually waterproof, and the insides kept dry even during heavy downpours. I only had enough space to pick one jacket, so I had to make my choices count. I would take only those things that were both comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and resistant against the elements.

For shirts, I wore a black thermo-wear and packed another two, another long-sleeved and one short-sleeved. They were snug and fit firmly against the skin.

Pants. One pair of black three-quarter shorts, and one pair of marine-blue cargo-jeans which I was already wearing.

For shoes, I would only take the pair I wore, which was all good because they were my favorite anyway. They were a hybrid between mountain shoes and hi-top sneakers that were a dark shade of maroon with black seams and lacing, and extremely tough rubber soles that could protect even from pointy nails.

Underwear and socks, I packed three pairs each. I wanted to pack more, but I had to leave room for a number of key items. Mostly gadgets from Professor Cid, water, and several tins of canned food.

There was no doubt that I'd have to find dry-cleaners or wash some clothes by hand if I wanted to stay clean out there, and I wondered whether Drowzee's psychic abilities would be of any help with washing clothes.

After checking my backpack, I scurried over to the kitchen and made myself the usual round of toast and gulped down a glass of milk.

It was 06:36, and I was a bundle of nerves. I went to grab Glee's pokéball and put it in one of the knee-level pockets of my pants. She would be staying with Gran at the treatment tents. I would be gone for the next few weeks, and I didn't want to leave her all alone in case she woke up before I returned.

I still hadn't called my parents, so they were totally ignorant to the fact that I was about to go out on my first ever pokémon journey. It really made me wonder what they'd make of it. They knew I'd changed since the accident, and they probably thought I'd never have a pokémon of my own. That was technically still true, Drowzee belonged to the professor. However, if I followed the professor's advice to capture a wild pokémon for protection, that'd soon change.